Fractured Fairytales
by Daughter of Horus
Summary: AU Ichigo is a princess, engaged to a handsome prince. One day, she meets Kish in the forest, and her lovely little fairytale life begins to change. KishxIchigo, PiexLettuce, TartxPudding
1. Chapter 1

**Fractured Fairytales**

**Chapter One**

Err…yeah. This is going to be my first multi-chaptered TMM fic. I'm not sure how it'll turn out, because most of my multi-chaptered stuff is crap, but I'm gonna try my best! This story's eventually going to have Kish/Ichigo, Tart/Pudding, and Pie/Lettuce.

Background Info

Edorai—the country that Ichigo rules. Resembles feudal Europe. All the action takes place here.

Aoishima—Masaya rules here. It resembles Japan, basically.

Zhongguo—Kind of like medieval China. Pudding is from here.

Sylvans—the aliens. They're distinguished from humans by their unique magic (ability to fly and teleport short distances), slit-pupilled eyes, long pointed ears, and razor-sharp fangs.

Disclaimer: If I owned TMM, I wouldn't be writing this.

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The Sabbia Forest was normally welcoming and full of life, but this day was different. There was no wind, and the tree branches meshed together, cutting off most of the light and turning what light there was into a green haze. The birds, which normally would have been chirping and fluttering in the air, were silent. In short, it was creepy.

The sole witness to all of this was 15-year-old Ichigo, Princess of Edorai. She had snuck away from her retainers and the palace to go for a walk in the forest, but was now sorely regretting that decision. She shivered as a distant shriek of some woodland animal reached her ears. "Oooh", she muttered, "I shoulda stayed home…what was I _thinking_, coming out here?" _It's getting darker_, she realized, as what light there was began to fade. Dressed as she was, in a frilly pink dress, she felt extremely vulnerable.

A rustling behind her made her spin around and look up, to meet the face of a boy she guessed to be around her age. But there was something …_off_…And then he smiled, revealing sharp fangs.

_A Sylvan!_ Now that she was paying attention, she could see that he had slitted golden eyes and dark green hair, with two long pieces in front tied by red bands. Bands of the same color were wound around his arms and legs. He was wearing loose black pants that came to his knees, and a black shirt. But before she had time to notice any more, he spoke.

"Hey, kitten. I'm Kish." She glared at him. _Kitten?_ He continued, apparently unfazed by the Glare of Doom the girl was sending his way, "It's nothing…personal, you understand." Before she could blink, he teleported closer to her and kissed her. Hard. On the mouth. Too shocked to move, she felt something around her neck slip loose. He pulled away, grinning hugely, and vanished.

Blankly, Ichigo stared into space. _He kissed me! He KISSED me!_ _How dare he! When I catch him…_She realized she was blushing furiously. Dazed, she reached up and touched her lips, and then her hand drifted towards her neck. She gasped.

"My mother's necklace!" The ruby-and-diamond choker had been a gift from her now-dead mother, Queen Sakura, for Ichigo's birthday. It was her most precious possession, and that bastard had stolen it! Immeasurably sad, but realizing there was nothing she could do, she began to head for home.

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The royal palace was a beautiful sight. Made entirely of white stone, it gave the impression of being filled with light, due to the huge windows. However, it was a mistake to think that it could be taken easily during wartime. As well as having some of the most brilliant men in the country as advisors to the princess, there were also those among the staff that possessed magical ability.

None of this mattered to Ichigo at the moment, as she was being practically interrogated by her ladies-in-waiting as to her whereabouts earlier that day.

Mint, a somewhat pushy girl who was the daughter of a high-ranking nobleman, barely gave Ichigo a chance to sit down on her bed before demanding, "Where were you? We were worried sick! You could have been killed for all we knew!"

"Umm…I went for a walk in the forest."

"That's too dangerous for a princess! You could have been attacked by brigands, or gotten lost, or—"

Zakuro interjected, "Ichigo would have been able to defend herself. She's a Fire mage. You know that." Mint flushed, embarrassed. Ichigo smiled. Everyone looked up to Zakuro. The violet-haired young woman had risen from virtual poverty to become lady-in-waiting to the princess by sheer force of personality, yet she was never less than polite to anybody. In addition, she also possessed powerful Light-based magic.

The timid Lettuce spoke up. "But Ichigo…If you got hurt, the whole kingdom would suffer." Ichigo smiled. "I won't get hurt, Lettuce. See? I'm _fine_." The green-haired girl sighed, obviously not convinced. But then again, it was in Lettuce's nature to worry. The Water mage was painfully shy and had trouble making friends.

The girls were startled by a series of knocks on the doors of Ichigo's bedchamber. Mint had just gotten up to answer it when a yellow blur streaked into the room.

"Ichigo-neechan! Masaya-niichan just arrived, na no da!" Pudding Fon was the court jester from Zhongguo, a kingdom far to the east. She dressed in yellow and orange to match her hair, and was extremely hyper. Her tendency to use Earth magic in her performances usually led to damaged property.

Ichigo sprang from her seat. "Masaya's here?" Prince Masaya of Aoishima was Ichigo's fiancé. The marriage had been arranged for political reasons, but the princess had quickly developed a crush on the boy.

"Oh…I have to get dressed!" She stormed around the room, panicky. After many minor breakdowns and with the help of Lettuce and Mint's expertise, she was attired in a simple red floor-length dress with a low-cut neckline, tight sleeves that reached her wrists, white flowers embroidered on the hem, and red shoes. Dressed to the nines and looking every inch a princess, she descended the stairs to meet her betrothed.

Masaya smiled at her and took her hand. "My lady." He was so gallant! Like most people from Aoishima, he had dark hair and eyes, and his skin was tanned from spending so much time outdoors.

She blushed and stammered something along the lines of "My prince." Nervous, she allowed herself to be led outside to the garden. The rose garden that the castle was famous for had been planted by Ichigo's great-grandmother, and contained every kind and color of rose imaginable—red, pink, yellow, lavender, and even rare blue and purple roses grown by Sylvans. It was Ichigo's favorite place in the kingdom.

Masaya sat down on an elegantly carved stone bench and patted the space beside him, inviting Ichigo to sit as well. He asked, "So, what's happened since I've been away?" She shrugged. "Nothing much. Pudding broke a plate on Ryou's head. She swears it was an accident. He was so mad!" Masaya chuckled. "Advisors to the royal family shouldn't be so hotheaded."

"Yeah. So how is Aoishima doing?" Masaya began to answer, but Ichigo zoned out. _His voice…it's so comforting…I wish he'd talk about something other than government for a change._ Masaya's voice broke into her thoughts. "Ichigo? Did you hear me?" She blushed and shook her head. He continued, "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to the bazaar with me tomorrow."

She couldn't believe it. A date with Masaya? "Yes, I'd love to! I need to go get ready…I'll meet you there?" He nodded. She fairly ran back inside, elated. _Masaya asked me to go to the bazaar with him! Yaaaay!_ Unbidden, a memory flashed into her head. _That Sylvan boy…Kish…No! Why am I thinking about him? I love Masaya! Kish's just some stupid thief!_

Try as she might, however, she could not erase the memory of his face and that kiss--that abominable, infuriating, _amazing_ kiss.

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Meanwhile, night had fallen in the Sabbia Forest. No travelers passed through here now, for it was common knowledge that the forest was home to a dangerous group of Sylvan bandits. Kish was one of them. Their headquarters was located deep inside the woods, protected by barriers of very sharp and poisonous thorns.

Kish yelled up through the barrier. "Hey, Tart! I'm back. Open up!"

Tart, the youngest member of the group, was an Earth mage specializing in plants. He was also highly annoying. He floated down from the trees and, with a wave of his hand, parted the barrier, and Kish entered.

"Hey, Kish, didja get anything good?"

"None of your business, Tart. Where's Cassie?"

An answering yell sounded from somewhere close by. "Incoming!" A girl landed next to them. Castella was Kish's sister, younger than him by a year. She resembled nothing so much as a female version of him, with slightly longer, fluffier hair. When they had been children, most people had gotten them confused. Luckily, that had stopped once they hit puberty.

She latched onto her brother's arm. "So, Kish, what'd you get?" He opened his hand, revealing Ichigo's necklace. She gasped. "Oh, that's gorgeous!" He smirked. "So was the girl I got it from."

Castella immediately smacked him in the back of the head. "You dog! Tell me everything. Now." Fearing further smacks, he complied. "She had red hair and brown eyes, and she was wearing a really, really pink dress."

"Oh, she sounds nice. Not to mention rich—must be a nobleman's daughter. So…am I going to be an aunt soon?" Kish choked in shock. Tart's eyes widened.

"Relax, I was joking."

"So, what's for dinner?"

She punched his arm. "What'd you steal? Oh, yeah, Pie," referring to their leader and the last member of their band, "has a new plan to get us lots and lots of money."

"Where is he, anyway?"

Tart spoke up. "You know him. He's still trying to translate that book on ancient magic. If Cassie didn't check on him occasionally, we would think he died." Kish rolled his eyes and sat down on a conveniently located flat-topped boulder. "So….? Are you going to tell me this wonderful new plan?"

Cassie beamed. "We're gonna rob the castle! See, we'll spend a few days scoping the place out, and then we'll sneak in their and rob the place blind! Those stupid humans won't know what hit 'em."

Kish nodded. "I'm going to go take a nap. Wake me when dinner's ready." With that, he teleported to his room, which, like every other building in their hideout, was made of wood. It was also very small and very bare, containing nothing but a bed, a few books, and a chest to store his clothes in.

He went to his bedroom window and gazed out in the direction of the castle. _Somewhere out there is that girl…I wonder if I'll see her again._ He smiled to himself. _She was very pretty. _A sudden realization dawned on him._ I don't even know her name…_

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End of Chapter One

Well, that's the first chapter of Fractured Fairytales! Also, Castella is a food name too—"kasutera" (Castella) is a type of Japanese sponge cake sold in long boxes, but the name is borrowed from Portuguese sailors who went there.

…Wow. This is actually the longest thing I've ever written, except some assignments for Advanced Placement European History. Leave a nice review, especially if you have any suggestions on how to make this thing better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Fractured Fairytales**

**Chapter Two**

Well, here I am again with the next installment of Fractured Fairytales! Thanks so much, all of you reading this! This chapter is dedicated to Lady Neko Ninja, for being the first to review the last chapter. Oh, yeah—this takes place 2 days after Ch. 1. And for the curious, Ichigo's palace looks _exactly_ like Neuschwanstein (look it up on Yahoo!) , only smaller and not on a hill.

Ages—Tart and Pudding are 10, Ichigo, Mint, and Castella are 15, Kish, Masaya and Lettuce are 16, Zakuro, Ryou and Pie are 18, and Keiichiro is 21.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is Castella, and even _that's_ questionable.

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"Lettuce, doesn't Ichigo seem a little…_off _to you?"

Lettuce looked up from her book. "What do you mean, Mint?"

Ichigo's ladies-in-waiting were sitting in one of the castle's many drawing rooms. Mint was taking her afternoon tea, while Lettuce had until recently been perusing an ancient book of magical spells entitled The Book of Rivers and Oceans.

Mint answered, "Well, haven't you noticed? She's been really distant and keeps spacing out."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, she has been staring off at the forest a lot lately. And she hasn't been wearing her necklace." Mint repeated the last words, amazed. "Hasn't been wearing—but she _never_ takes it off!"

Lettuce frowned, thinking. "Maybe she met someone…" Mint was shocked. "She loves Prince Masaya! She'd never…"

"Well, something must have happened in that forest."

Lettuce thought hard for a moment. "Maybe we should tell Sir Ryou or Prince Masaya—" Mint cut her off. 'Are you insane? We can't tell them! Ryou would go ballistic! No, this has to be kept a secret."

"Well…if you say so…"

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Meanwhile, outside the palace walls, the bandits, with the exception of Pie (who still wasn't finished translating that book), were discussing their plan.

"Okay, Tart, you'll go scope out the south and east. Cassie and I will take this side and the west. Report back in…", Kish glanced at the position of the sun, "2 hours. Go!"

And thus, the Sylvans went their separate ways. Tart headed east, while Kish and Castella quickly flew to the west side of the building.

Unbeknownst to them, this was the area that contained the royal quarters, where Ichigo was currently sitting on the window seat in her bedroom, reading a book of fairytales. _And so, the handsome prince took Cinderella back to the palace, where they were married and lived happily ever after._ She sighed, only wishing that her life was that simple. Ever since that day in the forest, she had been unable to stop thinking of Kish, despite every rational part of her mind telling her that she already _had _her beloved prince, who was much more cultured, intelligent, and kind than any Sylvan could ever be.

And still, a tiny, treacherous part of her brain spoke up, reminding her incessantly of that kiss. She blushed just thinking about it. _No! I have to stop this! I know—I'll keep reading. Maybe that will take my mind off him._

Outside the princess' window and hidden from view, Kish's eyes widened. "T-that's her! The girl I took that necklace from…" Castella grinned, revealing sharp fangs. "That's her? Wow, you didn't tell me she was pretty! And so rich…" she added, gazing in at the plush carpet and luxurious furniture enviously.

Together, they watched her as she blushed, causing tiny, barely perceptible sparks to fly off her. Kish blinked, taken aback by this new discovery. "A Fire mage? That could be dangerous." His sister remarked, "Indeed. Especially if you keep stealing things from her." Then a young blonde man walked into the room, and they gasped. _Sir Ryou!_ Ryou Shirogane was one of the advisors to the royal family. That alone would have been bad enough, but he was also known for his deep hatred of Sylvans—something to do with his parents having been murdered by one.

Deeply confused, they watched as Ryou spoke to the girl. "Princess Ichigo, there is a meeting you need to attend." She heaved a huge, dramatic sigh and followed him as he exited the room.

For the second time in as many minutes, the Sylvan siblings looked at each other in shock. Castella was the first to regain some ability to speak, while Kish was reduced to a strangled choking noise.

"She's a _princess?_ I definitely approve! Good going, bro."

Kish remained silent, processing this new development. _A princess…This could be fun. If she doesn't kill me first._

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Meanwhile, Tart was scoping out the south side of the castle, carefully making notes of anything that would help them break in later. The large stained-glass windows, though beautiful and probably very expensive, could be easily broken if needed. In fact, some idiot had left a small panel open. He glanced around to make sure that nobody could see him, before flying down and entering through it.

The inside was every bit as beautiful and useless as the outside. The walls were white marble, as was the floor, which was also covered with red carpet. Tart noted that there was no readily available hiding place…except an overgrown potted fig tree. Hearing footsteps, he dove behind it.

Pudding was in a good mood today. She had finally perfected her spinning plate trick, the cook had given her all the cake she could eat, and it was a great day outside. Therefore, she was stunned when a Sylvan boy around her own age suddenly grabbed her and held a very sharp knife to her throat.

"If you tell anyone that I'm here, I'll kill you. Got that, human?" Tart said, trying very hard to sound menacing. Pudding wasn't fooled. "My name's Pudding, what's yours?"

Tart sputtered. Who did this girl think she was? Still, better humor her.

"Tart. And if you tell anyone—"

Pudding interrupted him. "You can't kill me!

"And why not?" _Let's see her talk her way out of this one._ He was totally unprepared, therefore, when she suddenly lunged forward and hugged him tightly, chirping. "Because we're friends!"

Tart was taken aback. How dare this girl assume they were friends? They'd just met, and he was planning to kill her! She continued, "Here, this is for you!" With that, she dropped a chocolate bar into his hand and bounded away.

Tart stared after her in confusion. _What…the HELL? How did she get away?_ He looked down at the chocolate bar she'd given him. _I wonder if I'll see her again…_

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End of Chapter Two

Sorry this took so long—I've been obsessed with an anime called Samurai 7, and my favorite character (Ukyo) is pretty much ignored on here. The next chapter should be up sometime after Halloween.

Leave a nice review!


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